Kamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV (now TV Asahi). A manga adaptation was also featured in '' around the same period. The series has spawned many sequels and evolved into a franchise. The cultural impact of the series in Japan resulted in naming two minor planets in honor of the series: 12408 Fujioka, after actor Hiroshi Fujioka, known for his portrayal of Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider #1, and 12796 Kamenrider, after the series itself. It is the longest Kamen Rider series to date, with 98 episodes. Story outside of Bandai corporate headquarters.]] The story took place in a world plagued by Shocker, a mysterious terrorist organization. To further its plans for world domination, Shocker recruited its agents through kidnapping, turning their victims into mutant cyborgs and, ultimately, brainwashing them. However, one victim named Takeshi Hongo escaped just before the final brainwashing. With his sanity and moral conscience intact, Hongo battled Shocker's minions as the grasshopper-themed superhero Kamen Rider 1. Another of Shocker's victims, freelance photographer Hayato Ichimonji, had also been given cyborg implants, but was saved by Kamen Rider from the brainwashing process to become Kamen Rider #2. Assisted by motorcycle race team manager Tobei Tachibana and FBI agent Kazuya Taki, the Kamen Riders fought in both solo and partnered missions against both Shocker and its successor organization Gel-Shocker. Characters Kamen Riders TV Show Manga-exclusive Novel-exclusive Others Concepts *Kamen Rider 1 **Kamen Rider Skull Man **Kamen Rider Hopper Kick **Kamen Rider Grass Hopper *Kamen Rider 3 *Kamen Rider 4 *Kamen Rider (Arewa Kamen Rider) Allies *Tōbei Tachibana **Mayu Tachibana *Kazuya Taki *Professor Midorikawa *Ruriko Midorikawa *Hiromi Nohara *Snack Amigo *Shiro *Tachibana Racing Club **Mari **Yuri **Michi **Goro Ishikura **Emi **Mika **Tokko **Yokko **Choko *The Boys' Kamen Rider Squad **Naoki **Mitsuru Villains Shocker *Great Leader of Shocker *Colonel Zol/ (a.k.a. Gold Werewolf (26-39)) *Doctor Shinigami/Ikadevil (40-52) *Ambassador Hell/Garagaranda (53-62 & 64-67) *Shocker Riders *Shocker Combatmen *Big Machine Gel-Shocker *Great Leader of Gel-Shocker *General Black/Hiruchameleon *Gel-Shocker Combatmen *Shocker Riders Nova Shocker *Urga *Igura *Buffal *Nova Shocker Combatmen Episodes Other media Manga # # # # # # # S.I.C. Hero Saga #Missing Link'' # # # Novel # # Title cards KR1-13Title.png|Episodes 1-13 (Hongo) KR14-39Title.png|Episodes 14-39 (Ichimonji) KR40-52Title.png|Episodes 40-52 (Ichimonji) KR53-67Title.png|Episodes 53-67 (Hongo) KR68-98Title.png|Episodes 68-98 (Hongo) Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : (Played as Eisei Amamoto) * : * : * : (Played as ) * : * : * : * : * : * : * : (Played as ) * : * : (Played as ) * : * : * : * : * : * : Suit actors *Kamen Rider #1 - Hiroshi Fujioka *Kamen Rider #1, Kamen Rider #2 (understudy), Kamen Rider #2 (part of episode 72), Monsters (Spider Man, etc.) - Masaru Okada *Kamen Rider #1 (part), Kamen Rider #2 (main), Monsters - Fumiya Nakamura *Kamen Rider #1 (part), Kamen Rider #2 (understudy), Monsters (Saboteguron, etc.) - Tatsuyoshi Sejima *Kamen Rider #1 (part), Kamen Rider #2 (understudy), Monsters (Hitodanger, etc.) - Kenji Amari *Kamen Rider #1 (part), Kamen Rider New #2, Monsters - Kazuo Niibori *Kamen Rider #1 (Sakurajima #1), Kamen Rider #2 (understudy; episode 46), Kamen Rider New #1 - Tetsuya Nakayashiki *Kamen Rider #2 (Episodes 14, 15 & 25) - Tsuyoshi Sasaki *Kamen Rider #2 (understudy) - Minoru Iizuka *Kamen Rider New #1, Monsters - Yutaro Osugi *Kamen Rider New #2 - Keisuke Chiyoda (Episodes 72 & 73), Hiroo Kawarazaki (Episodes 93, 94 & 98) *Monsters, Combatmen - Tsuyoshi Ishimaru *Monsters (Bat Man, etc.) - Boshin Sano Boshin *Monsters (Jaguar Man, etc.) - Hiroshi Namekawa Songs ;Opening themes * **Lyrics: Shōtarō Ishinomori **Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi **Artist: Hiroshi Fujioka with **Episodes: 1-13 * **Lyrics: Shōtarō Ishinomori **Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi **Artist: Masato Shimon (as Kōichi Fuji) with Male Harmony **Episodes: 14-88 * **Lyrics: Shōtarō Ishinomori **Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi **Artist: Masato Shimon **Episodes: 89–98 ;Ending themes * **Lyrics: Saburō Yatsude **Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi **Artist: Masato Shimon (as Kōichi Fuji) with Male Harmony **Episodes: 1–71 * **Lyrics: Shōtarō Ishinomori **Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi **Artist: Masato Shimon **Episodes: 72–88 * **Lyrics: Mamoru Tanaka **Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi **Artist: Masato Shimon **Episodes: 89–98 Other Songs *Tatakae! Cyclone *Kaettekuru Rider *Akuma no Shocker *Rider No Komoriuta *Kaijin no Uta *Kamen Rider Kazoeuta *Bokura No Kamen Rider *Oh! Shocker *Kamen Rider Christmas External links * '' at *[http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/仮面ライダー Kamen Rider] at Japanese Wikipedia *[http://www.ishimoripro.com Ishimori@Style] - Shotaro Ishinomori on Ishimori Productions official website *[http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/sp21/riderguide.html Kamen Rider series on Region 2 DVD] - A complete list of all official releases to date. *[http://www.toei-eigamura.com/?c=2 Toei Kyoto Studio Park] - A theme park with official events, exhibitions and shops related to the Kamen Rider. Category:Series *